It's a tolerable -2C.

5.56 came early this morning. Despite making a pretty honest effort to get to bed on time, I laid awake for a long stretch. Lots of fretting about work going on, and fretting begets fretting. Of course the insomnia was really about the excitement of getting to the airport and getting on the plane. For weeks I have been looking forward to this morning, or rather this afternoon. This past week crawled. Last night time slowed to a pace that a glacier could race. There was last minute stuff to do. But I was as excited as a Kid at Krismus.

I don't really shine - which is to say I can forget ever having a pro career - at setting the timer on the coffee maker. And now that it's ready, somehow it didn't come out right. Ahh well, there's coffee on the road. It's time to go thru my bag one more time, give Charlie the Tawny Terror a quick walk, and warm up the car.

Matthew the elder, a prominent character in last year's reports, is driving us to the airport. Waking him up before noon is going to be a task. I am considering going out to the shed and getting the chainsaw. Revving it up outside his door - there's no better way to wake a sleeping Nite-owl University student.

You know what I have been dreaming of? No, not the long (thankfully direct) to PJA, but that moment. That moment that they pop open the door of the plane is the single greatest moment of my vacation. In rushes the mingled scents of jet fuel, sea water and tropical flowers, all carried on moist warm air. At the moment, your vacation is all in front of you, all possibility, and everything is perfect.

Looking forward to seeing Alain at AAA, then making that drive to Orient Bay. Gotta go thru Marigot and it's Fat Tuesday and the night of Carnavale. Driving thru the thousands of people that will be out this evening is gonna take some doing. We were in the same situation last year, and had a jeep that allowed us to do some adventuresome driving to get thru the backest back alleys of Marigot. Still took some time.

I'm also looking forward to that moment that you crest the hill that gives you the big sweeping view of the bay at Grand Case. That's another great sliver of vacation time - the first big vista you see. Then we arrives at Orient Village, find our apartment, have a glass of wine, and chill out.

It seems to me I have done all this before. And I have. Like many of you here, going to St Martin is becoming like visiting an old friend. It's easy, it's comfortable, it's fun, and now it's even nostalgic. And all too short. I have 9 days this year, and I intend to make the best of it.

If you hang around, I'll tell a few stories.

Have a safe flight. To avoid the traffic why don't you drive through Dutch side to Orient?

Richard, instead of driving thru Marigot why not take the middle road to Orient? Even if you use the new causeway to avoid Simpson Bay bridge, you can turn right (instead of left to marigot) to the rotary at Cole Bay up hill towards Philipsburg.
To 2nd rotary keep left down hill to 3rd rotary Bush Rd

Do you know where marks restaurant is? (In shopping center with Grand Marche food store).

Bush rd bear right at rotary (not sure if KFC there on left) toward Great Salt Pond another rotary keep straight A Illidge Rd then bear left (Fresh market on right) up hill. Stay on main road thru Dutch quarter. Left (note housing for elderly on right). Thru French Boarder here tIllidge Rd changes to Rue de Belle Plaine ( Yvette's restaurant is a left turn if you know that eatery) stay on road toward Orient.

Not as confusing as I've made it sound. It's basically one road that winds & turns---hubby calls it LeMans. Just look for Salt Pond and be sure the tip of Pond is on your right.

We are a day behind you, up early today and ready for our drive to Chicago and fly out tomorrow morning, we are like you when u step out of the plane and that heat hits you you know you are in paradise . We will be meeting some family and friends as usual and relaxing.

Wow, thanks for that. I'm gonna look that up on google maps right now.

A couple of observations

First, I feel so bad for my friend Joel who had to cancel his vacation at last minute yesterday. We will miss his company.

Second, I realize that one measure of a blessed life is measured in the T-shirts from cool places that I have thrown in my bag.

Oh and thanks to everybody through whom I have lived vicariously these past weeks. I'll do my part on the Orient updates.

Look for us on Orient and come say hello, between Pedros and Perch.

Kish, will you be holding up a sign?

Airport. Boarding time. Announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are just brining our aircraft from the hangar"

It will be a miracle if this flight leaves on time.

Another note: who are these people who bring duty free booze to the land of the cheapest booze on earth?

I have always wondered that myself. Either first-time visitors or have been misinformed somewhere along the line.

Have a great trip.

You must have missed the days when duct-taped cases of Budweiser were sometimes seen being brought on board as carryon items.

Those are the people who can't wait to stop to buy booze. They open the bottle when they hit the ground! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Bearing at the roundabouts reminds me of an old aviator's joke.
Juliania Ground Control: Nearmiss Air 123, bear right at the next intersection.
Nearmiss Air 123: Roger, got him in sight.

Well, we made it. The drive from the causeway to the roundabout before the hill was brutal, but otherwise it moved along fine. We stopped at Simply ("imply", actually, the sign is broke) near Grand Case for a few things. Is something wrong there? The place has no stock!

Found our little apartment in the village with a little fumbling, now having a beer waiting on the soft breeze for pizzas from Le Roi de la Riene - what's the name of the Orange Fever guy?

This is from my phone. Please excuse the mistrakes.

OK, glad you made it! Head on over to Super U in Marigot tomorrow. They should have everything in stock, and great prices!

Did you get to see Allain? I heard he was in Guatalope for some medical appointments. Hope his booming voice and great smile is back on the island.

Never been on a flight yet that's left Toronto on time <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Sadly, no Alain.

we were at Simply last week and I thought the same thing. No stock in half of the freezers.

We had pizza from Le Roi de la Reine Monday night - the Marinero on the menu is the old Orange Fever Pizza - shrimp garlic etc. The pizza box is stamped "Mimo Pizza" - named for Luc's grandfather apparently, the sign on the building [shipping container] says Le Roi ....

The names you are looking for are Luc - one the OF owners and Benoit - who worked for Luc and Oliver.
I agree about Simply, the missing "S" on the sign means no stock on the shelves. Three times we have stopped and no more. No eggs, no ham and worst of all no wine. Yesterday about 1/3 of the wine shelves were empty. Walking around the store lots of empty shelves, store looks in poor shape

The Petit Casino in the village is pretty good. They have a nice salad mix from France, they [unlike Imply] have ham, lots of wine etc. Bruno is there occasionally in the am, straightening the shelves

Enjoy your stay – when you walk the new section today for the 1st time, I can guess some of your thoughts and feelings.

I think we need a new contest – when at least half of the resto’s 1st serve food!

J&B

The new secrion make me kind of angry/sad this morning. What a freaking disaster.

Stopped at casino this morning - had to get coffee filters. The pouch of coffee that came w the apartment was pretty well the worst coffee I ever had. Seriously. Now that I have filters, Kicking Horse coffee for the win! You Canadians will know what I mean.

Kish, you there? How would I find/ identify you today?

Petit Casino was well stocked when we were there in June. Otherwise, sounds like people need to dump Simply for the time being and head over to Super U. They have great selection and do 1 to 1 on the Euro.

It actually sounds like people are doing their shopping now at Super U and Simply is struggling.

Not at beach today, but hope to be there tomorrow (Thursday). We sit between Pedros and Perch. We have our own chairs (blue) and umbrella (green). We arrive around 8 a.m. and leave by 2 p.m.